Mining machine



Dec. 24, 1935. T. E. PRAY MINING MACHINE Filed Sept. 14, 1933 4 Sheets-Sheet l Dec. 24, 1935. T, E, RA 2,025,306

' MINING MACHINE Filed Sept. 14, 1953 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 T. E. PRAY MINING MACHINE Dec. 24, 1935.

Filed Sept. 14, 1935 4 Sheets-Sheet 5 men/0r l jfiainad 1 WMQ-M mmmmmu m M-K I IE Dec. 24, 1935 PRAY 2,025,306

MINING MACHINE Filed Sept. 14, 1935 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 lllllllll Patented Dec. 24, 1935 PATENT OFFICE MINING MACHINE Thomas E. Pray, Chicago, 111., assignor to Goodman Manufacturing Company, Chicago, 111., a

corporation of Illinois Application September 14, 1933, Serial No. 689,386 7 9 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in mining machines of the track-mounted type wherein the cuttings are collected during the cutting operation and distributed to a point beyond the machine, and has as its principal objects to provide a more efficient cuttings collecting means than has formerly been provided, including a new and novel means cooperating with the cutter chain for breaking up large pieces of rock, or coal, expelled from the kerf by the cutter chain during the cutting operation.

One of the problems encountered in mining operations of the type where coal, dirt, or rock is cut out of a coal seam and collected and discharged remote from the mining machine and where the machine is provided with either one or a plurality of horizontal cutter bars, is to dispose of the large pieces of rock, or coal, expelled from the kerf by the cutter chain and prevent said pieces from clogging and stalling the conveyors, due to the fact that clearance between said conveyors and parts of the machine is limited in order that the machine may operate in spaces of restricted vertical height. The device of my invention overcomes this difficulty by breaking up the rock, or coal, to the desired size before discharging it on to the conveyors of the mining machine proper.

My invention may be more clearly understood with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 is a top plan view of a mining machine illustrating one form in which my invention may be embodied;

Figure 2 is an enlarged plan view of the forward portion of the machine shown'in Figure 1;

Figure 3 is an enlarged side elevation of the forward portion of the machine shown in Figure 1 with parts broken away and in section to more clearly show certain details of my invention;

Figure 4 is an enlarged fragmentary detail side elevation of a portion of the machine shown in Figure 1 showing certain details of the cuttings collecting means;

Figure 5 is an enlarged detail view of the cutter bars showing the spacing and guiding means between the two cutter bars in vertical transverse section;

Figure 6 is an enlarged fragmentary detail front'end View of the embodiment of my invention illustrated in Figure 1 showing certain details of the cutter bars and cuttings collecting means; and

Figures 7 and 8 are partial diagrammatic views illustrating the operation of the mechanism for engaging the face of the coal during the cutting operation.

Like numerals refer to like parts throughout the various figures.

The main features of the embodiment of my 5 invention illustrated in the drawings are similar to those shown in a prior application, Serial No. 666,838, filed by me on April 19, 1933, so will only be referred to insofar as is necessary to make my present invention clearly understandable and in- 10 clude a track-mounted truck I0 having a turntable it mounted thereon adjacent the forward end thereof. Upstanding support and guide members l2, l2 are secured to opposite sides of said turntable for supporting and guiding a 'cut ting element l3 for vertical adjustment with respect to said turntable, in a manner which has been fully described in my aforementioned prior application.

The cutting element l3 includes a motor I 4, a frame member If: extending forwardly of said motor and having a pair of parallel spaced horizontally disposed cutter bars I6, I 6 secured thereto and projecting forwardly therefrom.

The cutter bars I 6, l6 have cutter chains I1, I I movable thereabout in an orbital path driven from cutter chain sprockets l8, 18, which sprockets in turn are driven from the motor 4 in a suitable manner, which will not herein be described in detail since it has been fully'described in my aforementioned prior application.

A suitable cuttings collecting means, herein shown as being an extensible chute l9, having material engaging means 20 at the forward end thereof for yieldably engaging the face of the mine wall, is provided to cooperate with the cutter chains H, H for collecting the material cut by said chains and moving said material rearwardly therealong through suitable discharge openings 2|, 2| in the frame member I5 adjacent the rearward end thereof rearwardly of said cutter chains and on each'side ofthe cutter bars 16. The discharge openings 2], 2| cornmunicate with a hopper 22 secured to the underside of the frame member 15, which hopper in turn communicates with a discharge opening 23 in the turntable I I. A suitable conveyor 24, herein shown as being a flight conveyor, extends longitudinally of the truck Ill beneath the discharge opening 23 and upwardly above said discharge opening for discharging material on to a conveyor 24a carried by said truck beyond the rearward end thereof for pivotal movement with respect to the conveyor 24 for discharging material to either side of the mine track, in a usual manner.

The cutter bars [6, I6 are spaced apart adjacent their rearward ends by means of suitable spacing members and are secured to the frame member I by means of a suitable clamping means 25 disposed adjacent the forward end of said frame member and a clamping means 26 disposed rearwardly thereof, in such a manner as to permit the taking up of slack in either of the cutter chains H, H, as has been fully described in my aforementioned prior. application.

A spacing member 2? depends from the upper cutter bar 15 adjacent the forward end thereof and is secured thereto by means of a stud 29 secured to said spacing member by means of a suitable pin and passing through said cutter bar and having a nut 33 threaded to its upper.

end and abutting the upper surface of said cutter bar. The spacing member 27 is provided with a shouldered tongue 35 which is adapted to engage a gibbed groove 32 formed in a spacing member 33 extending upwardly from the lower cutter bar I6 and secured thereto by means of a suitable stud and nut 34. Thus, the cutter bars l5, [6 are spaced and supported in parallel relation with respect to each other in such a manner that they may be independently adjusted for taking up slack in either of the cutter chains l1, l1, and may be supported adjacent their forward ends during the adjusting operation, and when said cutter bars are in various adjusted positions with respect to each other.

With reference now in particular to the extensible chute I9 and the means for collecting the cuttings discharged by the cutter chains IT,

IT, said extensible chum is carried in the frame member 15 for slidable movement with respect thereto and is disposed adjacent the advance side of the cutter bars 16. The extensible chute I9 is provided with a channeled bottom 36 and an outer side wall 3? extending to the upper end of the top cutter bar It, and is slidably mounted on the frame member [5. The frame member [5 is so arranged that the extensible chutes [9 may be arranged adjacent opposite sides of the cutter bars 16, I6 if desired for collecting the cuttings where a kerf is cut first in one direction and then another, as is shown by dotted lines in Figures 2, 6, '7, and 8.

Suitablemeans are provided for yield-ably moving the extensible chute l9 forwardly along the cutter bars IE, IS which include a bracket 39 secured-to and extending forwardly and outwardly from the frame member l5, and a tension spring 40 secured'to said bracket at one of its ends and extending rearwardly therefrom and having its opposite end secured to the rearward end of the extensible chute IS, in a suitable manner.

A suitable means is provided for manually moving the extensible chute I9 along the cutter bar It when desired, which means, as herein shown, comprises a flexible drive chain 4! secured to an outer flange 42 of the outer side wall 31 of the extensible chute l9 and extending longitudinally therealong. The flexible drive chain 4| is guided over idlers '45, 45 disposed adjacent opposite sides of a sprocket 46 and under said sprocket so that rotation of said sprocket will cause movement of the extensible chute E9, in an obvious manner. The sprocket 46 is keyed on the inner end of a shaft 41 which is supported for horizontal rotational movement with respect to the frame member l5 in a suitable manner and which may be rotated by means of a hand lever 48 on the outer end of said shaft.

The material engaging means 28) includes a stud as secured to and depending from the forward end of the extensible chute [9 having a 5 rotatable disk 5t journaled thereon. The rotatable disk 50 extends beyond the forward end and outer side of the extensible chute l9 and is held to the stud 4% by means of a flanged bearing 5| and a member 52 secured to the underside of said stud and extending inwardly therefrom.

The member 52 serves as a support for the extensible chute l9 and has a vertically disposed support member 53 secured to the inner end thereof and extending upwardly therefrom in slots es extending longitudinally along the central portion of the cutter bars l5, I6. The Vertically disposed support member 53 is provided with rollers 55, 55 on opposite sides thereof adjacent the forward and rearward ends thereof, which are adapted to engage and rest on the upper side of the web of the lower cutter bar I6. Rollers 5% 55 are likewise journaled in the vertical support member 53 for engagement with the sides of the slots 54, 54.-

Inasmuch as the face of the coal is frequently of an irregular contour, and inasmuch as it is necessary that the forward end of the extensible chute 59 be in contact with the face of the coal in order to gather cuttings discharged by the cutter chains If, H, since the specific gravity of the material cut out by said cutter chains is such that it falls to the ground as soon as it leaves the kerf, yield-able material engaging means are provided for engaging the face of the coal adjacent the point Where the cutter chains l1, I! leave the kerf during the entire cutting operation. Various forms of means have been provided for engaging the coal face during the cutting operation, but for one reason or another these means 9 have not been adapted to all cutting conditions. One of the novel features of this invention is to provide such a material engaging means which will readily adapt itself to varying coal faces and conditions of mining. This means includes the rotatable disk 50, which guides the extensible chute I 9 as it is moved along the face of the coal, and a wing 5? extending inwardly therefrom and carried on the stud 49 above the disk for yieldable pivotal movement with respect 50 to the extensible chute H). A pin 59 extends upwardly from the wing 57 adjacent its outer end and is adapted to have the end of a suitable spring, herein shown as being a coil spring 60, secured thereto. The coil spring is wound to around a suitable pin 5| secured to and extending upwardly from the stud 49 and the opposite end of said coil spring is secured to said pin in such a manner that the inner end of the wing 5'l will be yieldably engaged with the face of 6.0

the coal.

Thus, when cutting across the coal face, the rotatable disk 50 engages the coal face to permit the extensible chute [9 to be moved therealong and prevent fouling of said extensible chute with 65 the coal face and the wing 51 yieldably engages the coal adjacent the point where the cutter chains i! leave the coal face inwardly of said disk so as to effect a means for guiding the cuttings discharged from the kerf by said cutter chains into the extensible chute l9. 7

With reference now in particular to the means for breaking up large pieces of coal, or rock, out out of the coal face by the cutter chains l1, IT, a plurality of breakerbars 63 are provided. The

breaker bars 63 are of an irregular contour, and are herein shown as being of a rectangular form, spaced in substantially parallel relation with respect to each other in planes perpendicular to the plane of movement of the cutter chains l1, IT, in such a manner that one of their corners faces the forward end of the machine and the cutter chains H, H. said breaker bars extend from a point beneath the path of the lower cutter chain upwardly and angularly rearwardly away from said cutter chain in such a manner that lumps thrown against said breaker bars by the cutter chains H, H will be broken up by said cutter chains and discharged through the openings 2|, 2| and are secured to a cross-member 64 in a suitable manner, such as welding. The cross-member 64 extends across the frame member I5 in the path of the openings 2|, 2| and is secured to said frame member in a suitable manner. Auxiliary breaker bars 65, 65 are secured tothe outer breaker bars 63, 63 adjacent the lower portion thereof and extend angularly forwardly therefrom at a less angle, with respect to the horizontal, than the breaker bars 63 and aid in breaking up the lumps by permitting the bottom bits of the lower cutter chain H to break the lumps therebetween and further break the larger lumps and expel them through the grating formed by said breaker bars through the openings 2|, 2| into the conveyor 24. Thus, as lumps of rock, or coal, are moved along the chute l9 by the cutter chains H, H, said lumps are engaged with and held from movement by the breaker bars 63, 63 and 65, 55 and are broken by the bits of the cutter chains I1 until of such a size as to pass through the grating formed by said cutter bars.

It may thus be seen that a simplified cuttings collecting means has been provided with an efficient and simple means incorporated therewith for engaging the coal face during cutting across the face, which means is so arranged as to more readily follow an uneven and arcuate coal face than has formerly been provided, and that this cuttings collecting means includes a means cooperating with the cutter chains for breaking up large lumps of material before being discharged through the discharge openings 2| on the conveyor 24 mounted on the truck ID to prevent stalling of said conveyor and clogging the machine and discharge openings with large lumps of rock, or coal.

While I have herein shown and described one form in which my invention may be embodied, it will be understood that the construction and arrangement of the parts may be altered without departing from the spirit and scope of my invention. I do not, therefore, wish to be understood as limiting myself to the specific construction illustrated herein excepting as specifically limited in the appended claims.

I claim as my invention:

1. In a mining machine, a cutting element including a frame having a cutter bar extending therefrom, a cutter chain movable about said cutter bar, means cooperating with said cutter bar and chain for collecting the cuttings, a passageway along said cutter bar whereby said cutter chain may move said cuttings therealong, an opening in said frame rearwardly of said cutter bar and communicating with said passageway, and means coacting with said cutter chain for breaking lumps of material moved along said passageway comprising a plurality of spaced bars arranged in a generally vertical manner rear- Wardly of said cutter chain and above said opening and in alignment with said cutter chain.

2. In a mining machine a cutting element including a frame having a cutter bar extending therefrom, a cutter chain movable about said cutter bar, means cooperating with said cutter bar and chain for collecting the cuttings, a passageway along said cutter bar whereby said outter chain may move said cuttings therealong, an opening in said frame rearwardly of said cutter bar and communicating with said passageway for the discharge of cuttings therethrough, and means disposed rearwardly of said cutter bar above said opening and coacting with said cutter bar for breaking lumps of material moved along said passageway by said'cutter chain comprising a plurality of spaced bars arranged in vertical planes and intersected by horizontal planes intersecting the upper and lower surfaces of said cutter chain.

3. In a mining machine, a cutting element including a frame having a cutter bar extending therefrom, a cutter chain movable about said outter bar, means cooperating with said cutter bar and chain for collecting the cuttings, a passageway along said cutter bar whereby said cutter chain may move said cuttings therealong, an opening in said frame rearwardly of said cutter bar communicating with said passageway, and means coacting with said cutter chain for breaking lumps of material moved along said passageway comprising a plurality of spaced bars having angular faces extending toward said cutter chain, said bars being spaced across said opening in a generally vertical direction and being intersected by a horizontal plane extending through said cutter chain.

4. In a mining machine, a cutting element including a plurality of parallel spaced cutter bars having cutter chains movable thereabout for cutting horizontally in the mine wall, means coopcrating with said cutter bars and chains for collecting the cuttings discharged thereby and other means cooperating with said cutter chains for breaking up the lumps of material cut by said cutter chains comprising a plurality of spaced members arranged in planes extending generally perpendicular to the plane of the path of travel of said cutter chains and disposed rearwardly of said cutter chains and in substantially the same horizontal plane as said cutter chains.

5. In a mining machine, a cutting element including a main frame, a pair of parallel spaced cutter bars having cutter chains movable thereabout projecting from; said main frame, a discharge opening in said main frame rearwardly of said cutter bars, means cooperating with said cutter bars for collecting the cuttings discharged thereby and conducting them to said discharge opening, and other means cooperating with said cutter chains as they turn from the advance to the retreating side of said cutter bar for breaking up the lumps of material cut out by said cutter chains comprising a plurality of spaced members in said discharge opening in said main frame and arranged perpendicularly to the path of travel of said cutter chains.

6. A mining machine in accordance with claim 5 wherein the members are spaced closer to the lower cutter bar than the upper cutter bar.

7. A mining machine in accordance with claim 5 wherein the spaced members include bars spaced closer to the lower cutter bar than the upper cutter bar, and auxiliary bars secured to the outermost of the first-mentioned bars and extending angularly forwardly therefrom from a point coinciding with a part of the lower cutter bar at a lesser angle with respect to the horizontal than said first-mentioned bars. 7 I

8. In a mining machine, a track-mounted truck, a turntable thereon having a discharge opening therein, a conveyor extending longitudinally of said truck beneath said discharge opening, a cutting element on said turntable including a frame, a pair of parallel spaced horizontalcutter bars having cutter chains movable thereabout, a discharge opening in said main frame rearwardly of said cutter chains, means cooperating with said cutter chains for collecting the cuttings discharged thereby and conducting them to said discharge opening, and other means cooperating with said cutterchains forbreaking up the lumps of material cut out by said cutter chains comprising 'a plurality of spaced member-s extending across said discharge opening'in planes substantially perpendicular to the cutting planes of said cutter bars.

'9. A mining machine in'accordance with claim 8 wherein the spaced members include bars spaced closerto the lower cutter bar than the upper cutter bar, and auxiliary bars secured to the outermost of the first-mentioned bars and extending angularly forwardly therefrom from a'point coinciding with a part of the lower cutter bar at a lesser angle with respect to the horizontal than said first-mentioned bars. 7

' THOMAS E. PRAY. 

